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New Speaking of bucket lists…
I have devised and selflessly share with you, my auditors and only friends, an innovative and efficient approach to these: wait until you have accomplished a given feat—whether or not you had actually ever planned to—and then add it the list, simultaneously checking it off. For example, perhaps I have modestly neglected to mention that last winter I trekked across the Baja Peninsula from the Sea of Cortez in the east all the way to the Pacific coast, whereupon, “silent, upon a peak in Darien,” I gazed across that vast expanse of briny blue toward the afternoon sun. It takes but little from this heroic hike for me to note that I planned my route shrewdly at a section of that landform near its tip, the distance between the two bodies of water measurable there in hundreds of yards, and not many hundreds at that. Twenty minutes well spent on the roundtrip.

Just so, in Gotham last month I scaled the highest geological point in all of Manhattan. This is located in the Washington Heights neighborhood, and takes the form of a rock looming a full two feet above the surrounding terrain (think Ayers Rock, only on a more human scale), a small city park on the supposed site of “Fort Washington,” surrendered to the forces of Old Blighty under General Howe at around this time 243 years ago. Here again, I had never dreamed of this exploit—no, not even as I departed my base camp in Midtown a few hours earlier—but onto the list, bucketeroos, along with the corresponding tickmark, it goes.

What prodigies, what exploits, what unprecedented attainments await me in 2020, I wonder?

cordially,
New I had a bunch myself this year.
In the winter here, my wife and I flew to Santiago, Chile and sailed from Valparaiso Chile on a South Pacific cruise to Sydney.

Crossed the equator South for the first time, crossed the International Time Line for the first time. Got to see the Orion constellation upside down and the Southern Cross for the first time. Got to see some Easter Island head statues, unfortunately only from the deck of the ship. The sea was to rough for old folks to be tendered ashore.

Got to see Tahiti, Bora Bora, several places in New Zealand, and after a brief tour of Sydney flew to the Outback. Got to see the real Ayers Rock (or Uluru as the natives call it).

This fall on another cruise, we got to see Hong Kong, Shanghai and several other Chinese cities as well as Okinawa. It's the first time my wife and I had been to Asia.

Okinawa was interesting because, in WW-II, it was the first Japanese civilian populated island that was invaded by the Allies (mostly US Marines and Army) and took almost 3 months to capture. The Japanese no surrender policy cost them dearly and a huge number of civilians committed suicide. Some conscripted Okinawans did surrender. There is a Cornerstone of Peace memorial park now that lists (including both sides) almost 241K dead.

From Shanghai we got go to Suzhou and a boat ride on the Grand Canal. The Grand Canal is one of those bucket lists items one didn't know about. It's 1100 miles long from Beijing to Hangzhou and had its beginnings in the 6th century BC.

Importantly for me, from the port of Tianjin we got to go on a bus to Huangyaguan and that section of the Great Wall of China. I got to walk up a few hundred feet.

Some Africa and Antarctica to go.
Alex

"There is a cult of ignorance in the United States, and there has always been. The strain of anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that "my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge."

-- Isaac Asimov
New Okinawa..
Not been near, however it be the place my Pater ended amongst the last casualties of WW-II (likely in July!) via Kamikaze--merely presumably. as I've yet to unearth from some Details-sanctum: an actual report of 'Cause'. He was aboard one of the many ships, a naval Pharmacist Mate enroute to MD-hood--so just a month ... short.

(As I was a mere tad), had heard nothing since his "Greetings" from the War Dept--at least then it was more honest; "Defense Dept" is soo Murican a bald-faced euphemism). Thus it was less traumatic an event por moi than for most folks. Maybe my first noticing of, "when you turn that ignition key" ... ya never know what the Roulette Wheel has in store.

Later on I learned of the intricate cave systems on Okinawa, thence the murderous cross fires to secure finally, the whole plot. Lately though, as over the many years.. the inhabitants have had Quite Enough of Murican forces and their home-grown habits re local lasses--nuff said: just add-to-lists now exponentially mulitiplied by The Menaces's dismantling of the word, 'Ally' (amidst our other nasty qualities, now so universally Noticed).

I think I'd punt on a visit, though.
New Okinawa was not the reason the cruise was picked.
It was just incidental to the cruise and not a bucket list item.

We stopped at (the Japanese Southernmost) Ishigaki Island as well and I hadn't mentioned it before or even knew about it.

So technically I've been to Japan. But, if you haven't been to Tokyo or Kyoto that can be questioned.
Alex

"There is a cult of ignorance in the United States, and there has always been. The strain of anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that "my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge."

-- Isaac Asimov
New Understood; there's no sane reason to 'boycott' the place ..these eons later, even por moi.
New oTpy.
Expand Edited by Ashton Nov. 11, 2019, 02:01:03 AM EST
New And climbing Uluru has now been closed.
The land now belongs to the indigenous locals who have maintained for a very long time that climbing the rock was sacrilegious. So the climb is now permanently closed.

Wade.
New I will surely shed many tears over that.
New Thank goodness that I scaled the Manhattan peak in time!
I suppose that the natives there do not enjoy anything like that influential constituency.

cordially,
New :) !
Alex

"There is a cult of ignorance in the United States, and there has always been. The strain of anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that "my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge."

-- Isaac Asimov
     Speaking of bucket lists… - (rcareaga) - (9)
         I had a bunch myself this year. - (a6l6e6x) - (4)
             Okinawa.. - (Ashton) - (2)
                 Okinawa was not the reason the cruise was picked. - (a6l6e6x) - (1)
                     Understood; there's no sane reason to 'boycott' the place ..these eons later, even por moi. -NT - (Ashton)
             oTpy. -NT - (Ashton)
         And climbing Uluru has now been closed. - (static) - (3)
             I will surely shed many tears over that. -NT - (Andrew Grygus)
             Thank goodness that I scaled the Manhattan peak in time! - (rcareaga) - (1)
                 :) ! -NT - (a6l6e6x)

No matter what I accomplish in this life, nobody's going to sculpt my head in thermoplastic resin and make it spit water into the bedrooms of sick children.
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